A Forum for Orthodox Jewish thought on Halacha, Hashkafa, and the social issues of our time.

Monday, August 08, 2016

The YCT-OO Conundrum

Yeshivat Chovevei Torah President, Rabbi Asher Lopatin

It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.
These words spoken by Winston Churchill about Russia is how I feel about Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT). My issues with this Yeshiva and it’s Hashkafa of Open Orthodoxy
(OO) remain troubling.

YCT head, Rabbi Asher Lopatin has not really done anything
to change that. There is a fascinating interview with him on Dovid Lichtenstein’s radio show,
Headlines. On the one hand I was gratified to hear him reaffirm YCT’s belief in
the fundamental principles of Judaism. The belief that the events at Sinai actually
happened is not negotiable, he said.

He clearly rejected the position of YCT ordainee,
Rabbi Zev Farber challenging his belief that lack of evidence about the people
and events in the Torah means that they didn’t really exist. And asked the same
question of Rabbi Farber that I would: Just because there has been no evidence
found of the exodus from Egypt, does not mean it did not happen. Rabbi Lopatin also
clearly stated that Rabbi Farber plays no role in his Yeshiva whatsoever.

For me, lack of belief in the fundamentals of Judaism is the ‘deal breaker’ in terms of considering OO legitimate. While there are still
troubling aspects of this movement, I would not yet be ready to exclude the
from the tent.

(The biggest problem of OO being their support for ordaining
women as rabbis. I am strongly opposed to that for a variety of reasons I have
mentioned before but are beyond the scope of this post. But I don’t think that
disqualifies them as Orthodox, which for me means that you maintain our
traditional belief system and are Shomer Mitzvos.)

But right after Rabbi Lopatin affirmed his (and YCT’s)
commitment to belief in the fundamentals, he was challenged by a quote from
YCT’s Talmud Chair, Rabbi Y’soscher Katz. Who in an April 3, 2015 Facebook post
said* that the Exodus (Yitzias Mitzraim) is fictional as are the individuals
mentioned in the Torah. The Torah narrative is a record of a conversation
between God and fictionalized characters. The lack of any scientific and
archaeological evidence makes it impossible to believe in the historicity of the
entire Torah.

This is a man that is an integral part of the YCT faculty
and yet he denies that Moshe, and everyone else in the Torah ever existed.
Rabbi Lopatin dances around the answer in the most unsatisfying way, talking
about ‘interprtation and midrashim’ and trying to re-define what fiction
actually means. If something is fictional it doesn’t mean it isn’t true, he
said. Really? (How Clintonesque!)

He tried to spin Rabbi Katz’s words into meaning that since
there is no evidence, let us instead dwell on the substance and truth of God’s
message. Well, of course the message is the most important part of the Torah. But
he did not really explain how Rabbi Katz can actually make such a definitive
statement and at the same time say believe that you believe the narrative is factual and
actually did happen.

It’s true that the Torah is not a historical document. But
the parts of the Torah that speak about events and people cannot be seen as
fictional. Tolerating and even praising (as Rabbi Lopatin did) a faculty
member as important as the Talmud Chair of a Yeshiva who says that the Torah is
a work of fiction flies in the face of his earlier claim that the Torah narrative
is NOT fictional and it is not what YCT teaches. You can’t have it both ways,
R’ Asher.

So as much as I would like to see legitimacy granted to YCT -
I don’t see how such an ambiguity can allow for it.

Rabbi Lopatin’s explanation about supporting gay marriage
was a little more palatable. He said that the Torah’s admonition in Sefer
Bereishis (2:18) of ‘Lo Tov Hayos HaAdam Levado’ (It is not good for man to live
alone) means that companionship is very important and it is
better to live with someone else than to live alone. If not a member of the
opposite sex, then a member of the same sex.

But he clearly stated that Mishkav Zechor (male to male anal
sex) is forbidden by Torah law. And that was not what he was endorsing. He was
endorsing companionship. He also clearly stated that marriage in the Halachic
sense is impossible. That there is no Chupa and Kiddushin for same sex
marriage.

What he meant then is a secular marriage. I disagree with
him - again - for reasons I have
discussed in the past but are beyond the scope of this post . But his
explanation shows he does not advocate violating a clear Torah prohibition. All
he is doing is accepting people for who they are and letting them live the way
they choose – as life companions… while clearly as a matter of Halacha - rejecting
the forbidden sexual component.

Rabbi Loptin was again challenged by others associated with
YCT who actually dealt with Mishkav Zechor saying that
it is permitted in our day. Again, in my view Rabbi Lopatin tried to spin those statements in ways that
are compatible with Halacha. But his explanation was completely
unsatisfactory stretching it into the realm of
fiction.

So at the end of the day, I remain skeptical about YCT and
its Hashkafa of OO. There is just too much confusion about what they consider
acceptable belief and behavior. At the same time I am also convinced that Rabbi
Lopatin is completely sincere and believes in his defenses of all those controversies. And sees no incompatibility
with Orthodoxy. But based on this interview, he is still going to have a hard
time convincing the rest of Orthodoxy of that.

*Update
It has been established that Dovid Lichtenstein was mistaken about what Rabbi Y'Soscher Katz actually said on his Facebook page (in 2015) with respect to the Torah narrative being fictional... or that he was included among those who say that Mishkav Zechor is permitted. He does not say that. (That part has been eliminated from the post).

It was not the Torah narrative Rabbi Katz was referring to. It was the four sons of the Haggadah he was referring to. I sincerely apologize for misrepresenting Rabbi Katz's views. But that does not explain Rabbi Lopatin's strange defense of what he was told was said. Leaving me in the same state of confusion about YCT and OO.

I should add that the impression left by Dovid Lichtenstein's broadcast (and podcast) leaves listeners with false and even libelous information about Rabbi Katz. I hope it is corrected.

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About Me

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.